LONDON (Reuters) – King Charles will welcome South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for his first state visit since taking the British throne.
The British sovereign, 74, has been associated with the pomp of most of the official visits of the 112 foreign leaders received by his mother, Queen Elizabeth, but this is the first time that he will be at the heart of the ceremony.
Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife arrived in London on Monday evening and will be formally welcomed on Tuesday morning by Crown Prince William and his wife Kate.
The South African presidential couple will then be received by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla before traveling by horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace, where a grand banquet will be held in their honour.
Cyril Ramaphosa is also due to meet during his two-day visit with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and meditate in front of the stone dedicated to Nelson Mandela in Westminster Abbey.
(Reporting by Michael Holden, with AlistairSmout, French version Tangi Salaün)